.
Asked Date
2026-07-22
Asked by
Hon. Thurairasa Ravikaran, M.P.
Ministry
Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
Legislature
Tenth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka
Session
First Session
(a) (i) Yes.
The Kokkilai and Nayaru lagoons in the Mullaitivu District, the wetlands and bird habitats near them have been identified as areas with a very high potential for development of eco-tourism. The Tourism Development Plan 2026-2030 prepared by the Northern Provincial Tourism Bureau has also identified those as major tourist attractions. Also, the natural ecosystems in these areas provide habitats for numerous native - endemic - inhabitant and migratory bird species, and it has been identified that there is great potential for nature-based tourism activities such as bird watching, lagoon tours, environmental studies, photography and guided ecological tours supported by its rich biodiversity and scenic natural landscapes.
(ii) Considering the high environmental value of Kokkilai and Nayaru lagoons as well as their associated wetlands and bird habitats, there is significant potential for development of eco-hotels. However, at present, eco-hotel facilities are very limited in the Kokkilai and Nayaru areas of the Mullaitivu District and the existing facilities are mainly, small-scale guest houses and basic accommodation facilities, which are insufficient to meet the growing demand for nature and environmental tourism needs.
(iii) Yes.
The Northern Provincial Tourism Bureau has prepared the 2026-2030 Tourism Development Plan with the support of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies of the University of Vavuniya and under the leadership of district-level stakeholders, through which the tourism potential, the major tourist attractions, resources, development opportunities, environmental analysis, gap analysis, strategic intervention and risk mitigation measures have been identified. Considering the tourism potential and importance of development, 10 tourist destinations have been selected by the stakeholders in order to prioritize and among those, Puliyamunai area located in Kokkilai West Grama Niladhari Division has been identified as the tourist destination with highest priority. Furthermore, the Nayaru lagoon has also been identified as a special tourist destination. It is planned to implement the necessary programmes to further develop it and make it an attractive tourist destination for local and foreign tourists.
In addition, out of 13 project proposals received from the Mullaitivu District Secretary for the year 2027, the Tourism Section of the Ministry has already submitted the following two project proposals to the Department of National Planning for approval and to be implement under the 2027 Budget provisions of the Ministry.
(iv) Sustainable strategies will be taken to conserve biodiversity, protect the habitats of endemic and migratory birds, preserve beautiful natural landscapes and continue to protect the naturalness of those sensitive ecosystems by developing those areas sustainably through eco-friendly tourism programmes.
Furthermore, a provision of Rs. 9.58 million had been provided to the Mullaitivu District Secretary for the development of tourism infrastructure facilities at Kokkilai Puliyamunai Lagoon in the year 2024 and the project has already been completed.
In addition, provisions had been made for the following two projects for the year 2025, both of which have been completed now.
(v) Under the guidance of the Presidential Task Force for the implementation of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Programme, a special team has carried out work in July to identify attractive tourism trails. It has identified bird sanctuaries and open trails which could enhance various tourism experiences and provide opportunities to create livelihoods for the local community (including the fisheries industry) by providing tourism services, and work will be done in the future to implement those opportunities. It is expected to create livelihood opportunities alongside sustainable eco-tourism development with the cooperation of relevant government institutions, local communities, the private sector and other stakeholders for the successful implementation of this programme.
(b) Not relevant.
Answered Date
2026-07-22
Answered by
Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe, M.P.
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